The Portable Lawyer for Mental Health Professionals An A-Z Guide to Protecting Your Clients, Your Practice, and Yourself

Everything you need to legally safeguard your mental health practice

Fully revised, The Portable Lawyer for Mental Health Professionals, Third Edition identifies, explores, and presents solutions to both the simple and complex legal questions that mental health practices must deal with daily. Written by Thomas Hartsell Jr. and Barton Bernstein—attorneys and therapists specializing in legal issues concerning mental health—this essential guide arms professionals with the expert knowledge needed to avoid a legal violation, or to know how to handle a situation if a complaint is filed.

With downloadable sample forms and contracts—including the new Informed Consent for Psychological Testing and Professional Limited Liability Member Agreement forms—this complete resource features step-by-step guidance, helpful case studies, and "legal light bulbs" to alert clinicians to warning signs and help them steer clear of legally questionable situations.

New to the Third Edition:

• Coverage of how to conduct business in a digital world, including how to handle confidentiality issues surrounding electronic health records and cloud computing, distance therapy, and maintaining a professional client-therapist relationship in a Facebook world
• Vital information on a variety of associations' ethics guidelines
• A look at the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act
• Considerations for using or not using evidence-based treatments
• New information on working with minors and dealing with homicidal clients

Convenient and comprehensive, The Portable Lawyer for Mental Health Professionals, Third Edition is the quick-reference resource that mental health professionals, graduate students, attorneys, and clients alike can rely on to make informed legal decisions.

THOMAS L. HARTSELL Jr., JD, is an attorney and mediator in private practice in Dallas, Texas. He is a frequent workshop presenter on topics related to ethics, managed care, confidentiality, informed consent, abuse allegations, and other legal aspects of mental health practice.

BARTON E. BERNSTEIN, JD, LMSW, is an attorney in private practice in Dallas, Texas, and a Licensed Master Social Worker. He conducts workshops and seminars throughout the United States.

SECTION ONE: CLINICAL RECORDS: PROTECTED OR NOT

Chapter 01          Clinical Notes 

Chapter 02          Consent Forms 

Chapter 03          Correcting Errors 

Chapter 04          Discharge or Termination 

Chapter 05          Electronic Records 

Chapter 06          Intake and Consent Forms 

Chapter 07          Maintaining Records

Chapter 08          Treatment Plans  & Client Access To Records

SECTION TWO: CONFIDENTIALITY

Chapter 09          Couples, Family, and Group Therapy 

Chapter 10          Insider Information 

Chapter 11          Third-Party Payers 

SECTION THREE: CONTRACTS

Chapter 12          Capitation Agreements 

Chapter 13          “Gag Rules” 

Chapter 14          Office Leases

SECTION FOUR: FEES

Chapter 15          Setting Fees

Chapter 16          Sliding Fee Scales 

Chapter 17          Recovering Unpaid Fees 

SECTION FIVE: FORENSIC ISSUES

Chapter 18          Abuse Allegations 

Chapter 19          Child Custody and Consent-to-Treat Issues 

Chapter 20          Children as Witnesses 

Chapter 21          Expert Witness 

Chapter 22          Forensic Evaluation 

Chapter 23          Involuntary Commitment 

Chapter 24          Threats of Violence 

SECTION SIX: PRACTICE MODELS

Chapter 25          Groups 

Chapter 26          Partnerships 

Chapter 27          Solo Practitioner: Incorporate or Not? 

SECTION SEVEN: HOW TO AVOID MALPRACTICE CHARGES

Chapter 28          Acts of Commission 

Chapter 29          Acts of Omission 

Chapter 30          What to Do If You Get Sued 

SECTION EIGHT: MANAGED CARE

Chapter 31          Confidentiality Issues 

Chapter 32          Duty to Appeal 

SECTION NINE: TEAMWORK

Chapter 33          Legal Aspects of Delegating 

Chapter 34          Supervisor/Supervisee Responsibilities 

SECTION TEN: Unusual Practices

Chapter 35          Geriatric Practice 

Chapter 36          Nontraditional and Exotic Therapies

Chapter 37          Internet Therapy

Chapter 38          Social Media

SECTION ELEVEN: Federal Regulations

Chapter 39          Introduction and Overview

Chapter 40          Privacy Rule

Chapter 41          Personal Representatives

Chapter 42          Business Associate Contracts

Chapter 43          Uses & Disclosures For Treatment, Payment & Health Care Operations

Chapter 44          Disclosures For Public Health Activities & Workers Compensation

Chapter 45          Marketing & Research

Chapter 46          Notice Of Privacy Practices For Protected Health Information

Chapter 47          Restrictions On Government Access To Health Information

Chapter 48          Security Rule

Chapter 49          HITECH Act

Appendix A       

Appendix B        

Appendix C      

Appendix D       

Appendix E        

Appendix F        

Appendix G       

Appendix H       

Appendix I        

Appendix J        

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.